Meeting with Head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova

The Head of Rospotrebnadzor briefed the President on the Service’s performance in the sphere of consumer protection, its readiness for the vaccination campaign, Russian medical solutions for use in the zone of the special military operation, and international cooperation.

The meeting was held on the Day of the Federal State Sanitary and Epidemiological Oversight Service, which is marked on September 15.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Ms Popova, September 15 is the Day of the Federal State Sanitary and Epidemiological Oversight Service. I would like to extend my greetings to you and everyone else who performs this vital function in the sphere of sanitary and epidemiological oversight. This is an extremely important mission; we have very good traditions and an excellent school, and you can report good results in your work both domestically and in your contacts with foreign colleagues throughout the world.

How would you describe the current situation, especially considering that we are approaching flu season? It is a complicated autumn and winter period when it comes to maintaining control of the situation, people’s health, the readiness of our services, the availability of vaccines, and so forth.

Head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova: To begin with, I would like to thank you for your attention to our tasks and problems.

The current sanitary and epidemiological situation in the country is stable. It is true that we are at the beginning of the seasonal epidemic rise in acute respiratory viral infections and flu. The flu will definitely be around this year, as it is every year, but we are preparing for it together with the national healthcare system.

A special feature of this season is that the composition of flu vaccines has been completely changed for all three virus types: influenza A (H1N1), influenza A (H3N2), and influenza B virus subtypes. The vaccine now includes absolutely new components. This means that we have never encountered such flu types before. Of course, it is very important for the people of Russia to get vaccinated. Russia is unique in that it is the only country in the world allocating so much federal funding for vaccinating over half of its aggregate population.

These vaccines have been prepared in accordance with relevant recommendations. We have very good quadrivalent and trivalent vaccines for all expected flu strains. These vaccines now feature an entirely new antigenic composition, in accordance with recommendations.

They are being sent to the regions; there are enough of them, and our readiness for the vaccination campaign is quite high. We are confident that we will be able to vaccinate the entire target population within two to two and a half months. Last year, the target was 55 percent of the aggregate population and nearly all risk groups, which is very important. We will primarily vaccinate medically vulnerable individuals, children, senior citizens, and people in high-contact professions, who constitute high-risk groups.

In short, our readiness for this is high. The Russian Federation, where a large percentage of the aggregate population is vaccinated every year, has navigated this situation much more calmly in the past few years than many other countries. We are confident that we will do this again this year. We still have a little time left – about two to three weeks – to fully prepare to help people who are not feeling well. Regrettably, this happens every year. That is what I can tell you about this season.

If I may, I would like to say a few words about our results over the past period, which are set out in our presentation. We have selected a few key areas to report on for this period.

Consumer protection is one of our core mandates and functions. I would like to note that since the adoption of the new State Policy Strategy on Consumer Protection, we have made significant progress. We have amended legislation to bring it into line with current requirements and trends. We drafted and secured the adoption of 17 laws and 39 systemic amendments to the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights, introducing many new provisions. These measures have helped safeguard consumer rights and raise protection standards. One such measure is the new mechanism for class-action-style claims, meaning individuals no longer have to file separate complaints; this has proven to be a highly effective tool. We also employ a special, enhanced administrative procedure to protect the rights of socially vulnerable individuals, which is yielding excellent results. We have seen a significant drop in complaints because accountability has increased, and service providers recognise this.

Furthermore, following your instruction issued in 2017, we have been working to protect the rights of our citizens in the digital age, as new types of services and commerce require specific regulation in this area.

Naturally, here we pay special attention to participants in the special military operation; they hold significant rights today, and we are striving to ensure these rights are fully upheld. We have a number of proposals to strengthen and improve this work and to reinforce the relevant legislation, which we would like to present to you.

We are also focusing on preventive measures to avert rights violations; we work closely with the public, stepping up our efforts to inform citizens about their rights and how to protect them.

We currently operate a vast network of consultation centres across the country, 639 in total, covering all constituent entities of the Russian Federation as well as many municipalities. Every month, we receive around a million inquiries of various kinds seeking consultation. I would note that while the number of complaints hasn’t decreased, their quality and the way they are handled has improved. Complaints account for only 14 percent of the total volume; the rest are requests for consultation. We intend to continue developing this area, as it is vital.

We operate hotlines in response to various incidents to inform people as quickly as possible about how to protect themselves, and we assist them in doing so. When we represent their interests in court, our success rate is quite high – 97.9 percent. Nearly 98 percent of all lawsuits are resolved in the consumer’s favour. This amounts to a significant sum annually – around 4 billion rubles – returned to consumers as compensation for the violation of their rights. We have grown substantially: nearly fourfold compared to ten years ago.

We are, of course, continuing this work, as virtually everyone in our country is a consumer, and protecting consumer rights is one of our most important tasks.

Another new digital tool for consumer protection is product labelling. We anticipated this outcome, but the actual impact has exceeded even our initial expectations. Given the sheer volume of goods, it is impossible for a single inspector or supervisory agency to track every individual item; however, this mechanism gives us full visibility.

Due to real-time sales verification feature introduced at checkout a year and a half ago, which prevents the register from ringing up expired products or items not registered in the central database, cash registers have blocked the sale of 862 million expired items to date. Substandard or unsafe goods never reached the consumer. It is a very powerful tool.

I would also like to add that the business community is paying close attention to the changes, and the number of violations is decreasing, Mr President. In other words, businesses understand that this cannot be bypassed and are responding in a conscientious manner. Naturally, the system makes it possible to rapidly recall the entire stock and withdraw it from circulation upon the detection of hazardous goods. Sales of hazardous products can be halted at the touch of a button – as is the case with dietary supplements and other items. And, of course, the sale of expired goods has dropped by a factor of 41. For us, as the regulatory authority, this is a significant outcome.

I have already mentioned informing the public about consumer protection. We have found another way to use digital labelling: to inform people about what is healthy and what is unhealthy, which products can be consumed in larger quantities, and what they need to be mindful of. We have developed special guidelines in cooperation with the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Endocrinology. These guidelines identify the products that should carry warnings: those that contain high levels of sugar, salt, or trans fats. App users can also find information on the recommended daily intake of sugar, salt, and trans fats. This does not mean that a product is unhealthy or bad. It simply means that we need to be mindful of how much of it we consume.

Vladimir Putin: How much it contains.

Anna Popova: Yes, exactly – how much it contains. All the information is clearly displayed, with colour coding in red, yellow, and green to draw attention to it. Demand has increased 13-fold as we launched this feature at the beginning of December. People are very interested in it and are actively using it. Eighty-eight percent of users rate this function positively and actively use it. We have also conducted special quality studies and are incorporating their findings into the product information. This allows us to build a digital data set.

Of course, Mr President, we are continuing to implement your instruction on the Sanitary Shield social initiative. This is another topic I would like to touch on briefly. Our protection system begins at Russia’s borders. During this period, we have been able to completely reconfigure and digitise sanitary and quarantine controls at the border. We analyse everything that is happening around the world, identify risks for every flight and, practically speaking, for every passenger based on their travel history. The number of people covered by sanitary and quarantine screening has increased 1.7-fold. They are not even aware of it. We do not need to come into contact with people. Everything is done using equipment: remote temperature monitoring, assessment of skin condition, detection of rashes, and other indicators that allow us to see what is going on.

Of course, the number of imported cases is increasing because of the challenging epidemiological situation globally and in various countries. However, despite the fact that the number of imported cases has doubled, we are managing to prevent their spread within the country. We detect and identify these cases, and each time, it ends with a single case. This is one of our most important tasks, and we will continue to carry it out by improving our border oversight system.

Another new aspect is our reference centres. Each of our institutes has several areas of specialisation and, in addition to conducting general research, carries out targeted research into one or more infections. Last year, we expanded their responsibilities to include continuous monitoring. In addition to monitoring the pathogen itself, we also monitor the sensitivity and effectiveness of diagnostic methods and vaccines: whether they provide protection and how the pathogen is changing.

There is also a new area of focus: we analyse the root causes, documenting the pathogens that have led to severe or fatal outcomes. This is also a new and major undertaking. Our colleagues are handling it well, and we are already seeing tangible results: we can identify threats we had not seen before and thus protect people.

New scientific innovations are aimed at saving and protecting service personnel taking part in the special military operation. Antibiotic resistance is a pressing issue today. Specialised phage cocktails developed by our institutes for specific cases are saving the lives of service members when antibiotics prove ineffective. This method is already applied by nine institutions in Moscow and Rostov, quite literally saving lives.

Of course, we are reducing the time required to determine antibiotic susceptibility when a service member arrives with a wound, suspected inflammation, or a contaminated wound. Today, our PCR tests allow us to determine which antibiotic should be administered first much faster than even a year or two ago. What used to take four hours now takes 25–30 minutes, making it possible to prescribe treatment much more precisely. We are continuing this work and developing these technologies to provide the best possible support to our troops.

A great deal of work is underway across the country, and it is crucial to keep a close eye on what is happening in our border regions. This also involves considerable effort. You know about it and oversee it, and we are implementing many of your instructions in this area.

We are working with various countries, expanding the network of mobile anti-epidemic laboratories, training specialists, and conducting international exercises, and not only with the CIS countries. This summer, we conducted joint exercises with our colleagues from China: the first stage was held in Russia and the second in China.

And, of course, biosecurity is an important item on the CSTO agenda. We are working together with our colleagues, conducting exercises and practising joint response measures. Today, we can already take pride in the fact that we can organise a response within 24 hours in any CIS country with which we cooperate.

Vladimir Putin: You are also creating joint centres, aren’t you?

Anna Popova: Yes, Mr President, that was also your instruction. And let me report on this.

The centre in Uzbekistan – you can see photographs below – is already, as the builders say, “emerging from the ground.” The first floor has already been completed, and quite quickly. We started this project together with our Uzbek partners at the beginning of this year.

As for the centre in Kyrgyzstan, the first foundation stone was laid on August 31, and construction has begun. All the documents have been completed, all the designs have been approved, everything is progressing, all the builders are on site, and construction is in full swing. We are monitoring the progress, and I will certainly report back to you.

We need to stay informed about what is happening on the distant approaches to our country, at the distant borders – that is, along the distant perimeter. We currently have four joint research centres monitoring biological threats abroad, so that we can observe them, study them, and take preventive measures before they reach either our immediate perimeter or our own country.

I would like to note that we established two centres back in 2017: the Russian-Guinean and Russian-Vietnamese centres. In addition to the work carried out there, we also train specialists. In Guinea, 300 specialists have been trained, and in Vietnam, 120. At the same time, our joint research projects lead to our colleagues from these countries completing dissertations, which they defend in Russia. Five dissertations have been defended by our Guinean colleagues, and nine by our Vietnamese colleagues. And, of course, we have joint publications, and our colleagues actively participate in our conferences. It is a major joint effort.

Africa is also part of your instruction. The first stage of the 2023–2026 programme – you announced its launch at the second Russia–Africa Summit, and we are carrying out your instruction. Today, 18 African countries are participating in the programme, with 15 mobile laboratories operating in 11 countries, and 350 African specialists trained. We test the diagnostic systems we develop in places where the pathogen is present, and we are getting good results.

During this period, nine biological emergencies have been brought under control. Work is still underway to contain the Ebola outbreak in Uganda. Our colleagues went there very quickly and helped our friends in Uganda deal with the outbreak. Uganda reported and prevailed – this has been recognised – it brought the Ebola outbreak in the country under control. But even today, our colleagues are still working there; it is a joint effort. The test we brought there literally in the first days proved highly effective. We had the opportunity, so to speak, to finetune it there. It is now the most effective one and has passed the first stage of qualification and registration with the WHO. And, of course, we have developed the second stage of the programme. We hope it will be adopted, and we are doing everything we can to make that happen before the third Russia–Africa Summit so that we can continue this work, which is indeed very effective.

We have also done a great deal of work on plague. This is an important infection that, unfortunately, continues to affect the world and will probably never stop doing so; it is a natural focal infection. The situation in Mongolia is now becoming more complicated. Our colleagues have worked there and continue to work there. At this stage, we are beginning to vaccinate people in Mongolia with a domestically produced vaccine that they have been waiting for a very long time. This is happening now.

So, these are our three levels: within the country, the former Soviet republics and the rest of the world.

Mr President, we are working very hard to reduce all risks at every stage, including in Africa.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

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